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Dec. 10, 2009 -- A California pet food maker has issued a nationwide recall
of all varieties of its popular “pig ears” and “cow hooves” dog treats because
the products may be contaminated with salmonella, a bacterium that
can cause serious illness in animals and people.

Pet Carousel Inc. of Sanger, Calif., announced the recall following two
statements from the FDA in November warning that certain dog snacks made by the
company might be contaminated with salmonella.

Pet Carousel says the FDA found positive results for salmonella in tests of
pig ears and beef hoof products.

The company warns that people can contract salmonella poisoning by handling
dry pet food and pet treats, “especially if [people] have not thoroughly washed
their hands after having contact with the treats or any surfaces exposed to
those products.”

It says healthy people infected with salmonella may experience symptoms such
as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and sometimes more
serious problems, including arterial infections.

They report that pets with salmonella may become lethargic and have diarrhea
or bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, decreased appetite, and abdominal
pain.

The company says healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or
humans and warns people whose pets have consumed any of the affected products
to contact their veterinarians if their animals have become sick.

The FDA said Nov. 10 that it had warned dog owners that pig ears and cow
hooves made by company, “both plain and stuffed,” might be contaminated with
salmonella.

The warning was issued after routine FDA testing in a sample of the
manufacturer’s pig ear dog treats, which triggered an inspection of the
company’s plant.

The FDA says the affected treats were sold nationally through retail stores
and over the Internet. The agency also says the retail chains PetSmart, Pet
Food Express, and Petco had posted formal notices on their web pages and
offered refunds or exchanges for any of the affected foods.

“Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis in dogs, including symptoms such as
nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” the FDA says in its warning. “Some dogs will
shed salmonella in their stools without ever showing any symptoms of illness.
If any stool clings to an infected dog’s coat near the anus (not unusual with
long-haired breeds), the salmonella can be spread to other parts of the coat by
licking, and then transferred to anyone who pets, or is licked by, the
dog.”

The FDA’s warning on Nov. 10 followed an alert issued Nov. 5.

Pet Carousel says it issued a news release “out of an abundance of caution
and concern for public safety.”

The FDA says it detected salmonella in Pet Carousel products in September,
prompting an inspection of the company’s facilities, during which salmonella
was found in beef hooves, pig ears, and in the manufacturing environment.